Cook-up rice recipe

Rice and black-eyed peas cooked down together in one pot of coconut milk with salted meat, the Saturday dish of every Guyanese kitchen.

13 hours and 50 minutesmedium11 ingredients

Ingredients

• 250 g black-eyed peas
• 500 g rice
• 800 ml coconut milk
• 500 g chicken
• 300 g salted beef
• 1 onion
• 4 clove garlic
• 1 bunch thyme
• 2 wiri wiri pepper
• 2 scallion
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Cook-up rice

1. Soak 250 g of black-eyed peas in cold water overnight. Peas are not optional here; without them the pot is coconut rice, not cook-up.
2. Boil 300 g of salted beef in plenty of water for 30 minutes, then throw the water away to draw out the salt.
3. Simmer the drained peas in fresh water 25 to 30 minutes until almost tender but still holding their shape, then drain.
4. In a heavy pot, brown 500 g of chicken pieces with 1 chopped onion, 4 minced garlic cloves and a small bunch of thyme.
5. Return the salted beef and the peas, pour in 800 ml of coconut milk and drop in 2 whole wiri wiri peppers, unbroken so they perfume without burning.
6. Stir in 500 g of rinsed rice; the liquid should stand about one centimetre above the grains, top up with water if needed.
7. Cover and cook on the lowest heat 25 to 30 minutes without stirring, so the grains stay separate and the coconut milk is fully absorbed.
8. Lift out the whole peppers, scatter 2 sliced scallions over the top, adjust the salt and fork the rice through from the bottom.

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